


haunted houses are meant to be scary, not scarily disappointing

by CaptainJimothyCarter



Category: Agent Carter (Marvel Short Film), Agent Carter (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awkward Dates, Date au, Dating AU, F/M, Halloween, Haunted House, Peggy Carter - Freeform, Police Officer Peggy Carter, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Steve is clearly in love with Peggy, Will you two just kiss?, date, peggy is a damn good police officer, peggy is all about work, steve is head over heels for her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 08:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21966160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJimothyCarter/pseuds/CaptainJimothyCarter
Summary: Peggy Carter is an officer of the law and she's dead over heels for Steve Rogers. Steve would do just about anything for Peggy and that includes going into a seizure, asthma attack inducing Haunted House ran by college kids, just so she can investigate a few theft reports.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 21





	haunted houses are meant to be scary, not scarily disappointing

“Are you sure this classifies as a date if its work related?” Steve mused, adjusting the oversized sweater he had pulled on before he left to pick up his beautiful girlfriend for their weekly date night. Peggy deserved to have some distraction after her stressful week, given the large number of reports that had come in this week alone. Peggy worked as an officer and around Halloween, things always got intense. There was always the normal mundane crimes, least as mundane for Brooklyn, but as it got closer and closer to Halloween, what was mundane now turned a bit more manic. More drunken idiots to steal from and people to terrorize while in costumes, masks and make-up hid their faces. And as always, not enough officers to go around.  
  
Peggy’s bright hazel eyes, regarded Steve with an amused look. He could make out the golden hue under her yellow porch light, in them. They swirled around in her eyes, like droplets of honey. She gave him a small smile across her red lips, dimples showing as her eyes fell down to his oversized pumpkin sweater. It was a ghastly, bright orange, with the hem trimmed in an even brighter green, along with his stretched out wrist cuffs, and the collar. A face done in soft yellow was outline on his chest, showing a toothy smile. It was overall cute, especially given the sweater was large on Steve’s small frame. It swallowing him whole and he already had to roll the sleeves up four times, just to free his skinny, artist hands.  
  
Peggy had dressed up for tonight’s outing as well. She had a similar sweater pulled on, just a little more tight form fitting and not so worn out. Where Steve liked his clothes baggy, she liked hers tight. Instead of a giant pumpkin face on hers, Peggy’s was a dark shade of purple, trimmed in black on the sleeves and hem. A white ghost sat on a soft gray headstone, a simple expression on his face compared to Steve’s dopey looking pumpkin. Hey, it was comfortable and paired with her jeans, it was a durable outfit. And tonight, that’s what they both needed.  
  
“I like to think so,” Peggy mused, her fingers reaching to take Steve’s. She weaved her warm fingers in between his cold, slender ones and gave a gentle squeeze. “Besides, think of it as killing two birds with one stone. I get to see what actually is going on inside this haunted house and we get to actually go on a proper date. Our first one in quite a long time. And I do apologize about that, that’s my fault.”  
  
“Pegs…” Steve’s baby blue eyes softened as he turned to look at her, stopping them from descending down her front steps. He took a step down, still holding her hand, and looking into those beautiful eyes. His free hand, trembling from the cold cupped her warm cheek. His thumb brushed over her cheekbones, shaking his head. His mop of blonde hair fluttered from the movement. “We’ve both been busy, alright? Me, with the illustration and you with the police work. I’m not placing blame on either one of us. I’m just glad we got to go on this date now, even if it _is_ to a haunted house.”  
  
Leaning into the touch, a smile crept to Peggy’s lips. She leaned in close to kiss Steve, just a bare brush of her lips over his own smaller ones. Even his lips were cold. She had half a mind to insist they stayed inside tonight, but she knew Steve would argue that he could handle it. “Do you hate haunted houses? I thought they were an American tradition, to pay to get scared by a bunch of wanna-be actors and college students.”  
  
Steve couldn’t help but laugh, leaning into the kiss. He moved his lips to press a few fluttering kisses along her jawline and neck before pulling away. He rolled his eyes at Peggy’s loving term of the American tradition before throwing an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her in close, leading them towards the subway. “I don’t know if I should take you seriously or not.” He shook his head again, thankful that despite the high stench of stale piss and alcohol that seemed to permanently be embedded into the tile walls of the subway, that it was warm down here. “Either way, my problem is that they see my size and try to make me a target. I normally try not to swing at them, but sometimes, I can’t help it. And there’s always, _always_ some actor who takes it too far or its themed after a fucking hospital. I’ve practically lived in hospitals, I know what it’s like!”  
  
Peggy rolled her eyes as they waited behind the yellow lines. She eyed the drunken man in a gorilla costume, slumped over on the wall. He had an empty beer bottle beside him and reeked of piss and liquor. Her nose wrinkled at him, stepping closer to Steve. Her arms wrapped around him, Steve being the perfect height for Peggy to rest her chin on his shoulder and kiss behind his ear. “I know how you feel about hospitals, darling, we don’t need to have this conversation again.” A fond smile curled on her lips, pressing them to his neckline. “You were the idiot that got thrown into the Brooklyn River in the middle of February, mind you.”  
  
“To be fair,” Steve laughed, smiling at the fond memory, “I was _thrown_ into the river by your car jacker.” He leaned back to kiss Peggy’s neckline, simply wanting to love her as much as possible.  
  
“Mhm.” Taking Steve’s hand, Peggy lead the blonde inside the subway. She found an empty seat for them to share, sitting Steve in her lap. She loved how perfectly he fitted in her lap, an arm around his waist and nuzzling into his neck. “You were in the way of his escape route, so simply shoving a ninety-three pound man into a freezing, polluted river was the only solution. I still can’t believe you somehow survived hypothermia _and_ a broken arm. You nearly drowned, if I hadn’t jumped in to save you.”  
  
“Thought you were an angel.” The blonde laughed again, shaking his head. “Kept insisting you were an angel, not some officer diving into the cold water to save a man who couldn’t swim. Thanks for uh, not letting me freak out there. You practically saved my life.”  
  
“And endangered it. I wasn’t aware that a simple car jacker could be so ruthless. I _did_ however, get a date out of it.” Peggy’s fingers combed through the blonde locks, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. “And I did meet my wonderful boyfriend out of that incident. I _really_ should visit Mr. Rumlow in jail and thank him.”  
  
“Let’s not and say we did. You know he’s fascinated with you in the weirdest ways. I hate for him to get ideas. Oh, look - our stop.” Steve pointed up to the screen before sliding out of Peggy’s lap. Taking at her hand, Steve lead them out of the station and back onto main-level, in the cold air. He took in a deep breath of Brooklyn freezing-cold, stale air and instantly regretted it when it sent him into a coughing spill.  
  
Peggy made a sympathetic sound and patted him on the back, a hand half way to his inhaler. She always had a back up. “Maybe next time, wait until the bus has rounded the corner?” She said this in a cheeky manner, that caused Steve to shoot daggers at her. “Let’s head to the house, Google says its three blocks from here and in a rather...upscale neighborhood.”  
  
The Haunted House in speaking was actually four blocks away, nestled on a large corner with over an acre front and back yard, between it and the other neighboring houses. To say that this was a Haunted House was an understatement. There was an attempt to model it after a hospital, the themeing causing Steve to groan when they finally arrived outside the door. The home even had a giant, red cross that was lit up in red lights. Underneath it read: **Brooklyn Emergency Ward. Come at your own risk.** The front yard’s trees were decorated in overused spider webs, with a few zombie flesh hands and legs sticking out of the thick branches. A few fog machine had been set up on several levels, causing layer after layer of fog to settle on the dying grass. The yard had been decorated in various size headstones, with a casket or two lying part way open. A figure could be made out in them, stoic. The front porch had a strobe light in effect, blinking slowly so Steve felt like he could glance at it without having a seizure. The front door was decorated to match that of a morgue, with a decal over the front dictating that you entered at your own risk.  
  
It was, well, crappily done in Steve’s opinion. He looked up at the front windows, watching flashes of lights appear, every so often a figure would stand in front of it. He could hear screams inside, some sounding genuine and some off of a shitty soundtrack. Speaking of the soundtrack, he could make out a shitty, gas-station bought one for ‘scary’ noises. It was laughable. A few people crowded the front door, dressed in various costumes. It looked like the man taking charge was dressed as a ‘doctor’. If you could call the half-assed latex paint and what looked like was suppose to be a stab wound to his cheek was half peeling off now, a doctor. Steve could give him credit for the mysteriously stained lab coat and his stethoscope.  
  
Scoffing, Steve turned to Peggy, throwing his left hand at the house with a look of disgust. “Are you sure we’re at the right place?”  
  
Double checking the address in her phone, her head nodded. “This is the right place. Its where most of the reports are coming from. Several reports of items stolen off of a person and assaults. This place _really_ doesn’t look regulated by the city, now does it?”  
  
Steve scoffed again, nose wrinkling slightly. He regarded the home, with its cheap lighting and fake lightning flashing in the fog. “Only crime I can see is the shitty use of a hospital setting. I don’t think the city regulates the haunted homes, long as people get a permit. Then again, I’m just a cake decorator for a reason. I’ve made cakes better than this garbage.”  
  
Peggy rolled her eyes in the same manner Steve did, tucking her phone away into her bag. “Steven, I know this isn’t… what you were thinking and I know you’ve practically lived at a hospital, but please just try to relax. This is just...for fun. It's just us, alright?”  
  
“You’re here for work!” Steve reminded Peggy, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His shoulders shrunk and he looked almost miserable.  
  
“Unofficially. Officially, I am here on a date with you. Unofficially, I’m here just to see what the constant complaints are about.” It made sense in Peggy’s mind and was legal. Even if it wasn’t, she was sure she could worm her way out of another annoying lecture from Captain Phillips. Looping her arm through Steve’s, Peggy smiled and pulled him in for a soft kiss on his cheek. “Now, please just...pretend to be scared.”  
  
“Fine,” Steve grumbled, already walking them up the small steps. “But if anyone grabs me _or_ you, I’m punching them in the face and taking my assault charge.”

“ _Savage._ Remind me again why I love you?”  
  
“Because I’m cute and funny? And you have a thing for asthmatic guys who can make killer baklava?”  
  
Peggy simply laughed, giving a roll of her eyes as she did so. She did squeeze his arm gently, that told him she still loved him for now. Standing in the back of the crowd, her eyes took in the doctor Steve had pointed out earlier. Doctor used in a loose, loose term. The man looked like he found everything laying around his house and threw it together, from the stained lab coat, with what she’d assume was fake, orange blood on the label and sleeves, down to the rusted looking stethoscope. He had some clipboard and pen in hand, grumbling to people as they passed to sign it. Once Peggy had reached him, she regarded the clipboard before nodding to herself and signing for both her and Steve before forking over $20.  
  
“We did not just pay twenty dollars to go inside a shitty haunted house?” Steve had to whisper hiss into Peggy’s ear, loud enough for the disgruntled doctor look down at him. He flashed the other a disgusted look.  
  
“No, _I_ paid twenty dollars to take us on a date. Now be nice. And by the way…” Peggy turned back to the doctor, dropping the pen back onto the board. “You’re wound is falling off. Right there.” She tapped her left cheek before taking Steve’s hand and lead them inside. “And all that paperwork declared was by signing, you agree to pay the fee.”  
  
If the outside was trashy, so was the inside. It was dark in here, enough light from the lit candles along what Steve believed to be a counter to see. He could make out the outline of a couch and a TV on the wall, with a bookcase right by the door. The door to the kitchen was closed, a sticker on the outside declaring it the morgue. He scoffed at it and rolled his eyes.   
  
“As if,” he grumbled, leaning onto Peggy’s ear, given the line of people had stopped. “A morgue needs to be kept at 36 Fahrenheit. And their freezers need to get down to almost negative, depending on the situation. They--why are we stopped?”  
  
Peggy hid the small smile, arm around Steve’s waist at this point. She enjoyed the fact he was picking this haunted house apart and his disgust with the whole thing. It was adorable. “Seems like we have a tour guide that hasn’t shown up yet. Sign says to wait here, but you can’t see it because they want people to be blind in here.” She didn’t sound too convinced, tapping Steve’s arm in a slow, thoughtful manner as she took in the rest of the room.  
  
Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long. There was a rustling coming from the kitchen, it sounded like several people stumbling over one another. It was followed by a scream before a woman dressed in a _very_ revealing cheaply done, nurse Halloween costume burst through the swinging door. It smacked heavily into the wall, enough to knock the candles down from the counter and shatter the glass onto the floor. A line of blueish, alcohol enabled flames lit up in a perfect trail, from the sign along the hall that asked them to wait there, all the way towards the kitchen door. Enough light was given for everyone to make out a horribly done, disgusting, zombified man. Really, who thought just painting the man green with latex wounds was a good idea?  
  
The busty nurse was able to ram her shoulder into the door, slamming it close and blockading it with a high back chair. The door shook a few times on its frame before stopping. Out of breath, the nurse bounced to their group of six, stepping over the dying, flickering flame and glass. Her overly done, red heels clacked on the hardwood floor as she stood in front of them.  
  
“I’m sorry about the wait, folks.” She had the _worst_ accent imaginable, to Steve. An overly done, spiced southern accent. Her blonde hair was done into two large pigtails and a smile was on her flushed face. “And I’m so sorry about _that_ incident. We just got the body fresh this morning. He was perfectly fine after I laid him in the freezer and when I went to check on him just now, he attacked me!”  
  
Steve had to hide his snorting into a cough, ignoring the look Peggy shot him. He couldn’t take this seriously. From her overly done, slutty nurse features, to the bralette barely containing her breasts, down to the short, black skirt, and her red heels. The accent did it in for him, with the addition of her lies. He couldn’t handle it. He could feel her green eyes on him, but he ignored it.  
  
“Sorry,” he mumbled to Peggy. “It's just...bodies don’t decompose that _fast_ unless it's like a hundred and one degrees in there _._ They decompose in a slower setting a morgue. She’s just...so wrong. And why would she go and _check_ on him if he’s dead?”  
  
A smile curled on Peggy’s red lips, her hand dipping down to squeeze Steve’s. While everyone had paid attention to the little scene, she was watching what went on around her. Several figures, dressed in black body suits had fluttered around them, brushing past them. She just bit her tongue at the action, not commenting on them. “Well, with that outfit, how do you expect to take her seriously. Though...those heels do make her ass look good.” Peggy’s head tilted to the side in wonder, curls falling over her shoulder.  
  
The nurse smiled with her teeth before turning on her heels. “Well, with _that_ incident out of the way, why don’t we move on down the hall? I’ll show you some of our new clients we just got in. Now stay in a strict line behind me and no one make too much noise, we don’t want to startle them.”   
  
The house was longer than it was large, Peggy noted. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever given by the dim looks of it. More of that cobweb was stretched over the ceiling, to the point, it looked like clouds rather than cobweb. Fake spiders lines the wall and ceiling, some already had fallen down and were kicked to the side rather than put back up. Their first door was on the left and the six of them crowded around. The four other people were young adults, in various costumes, looking half drunk, if not bored at this.  
  
“Here’s our baby and children ward,” the nurse introduced, laying a hand on Steve’s shoulder as she stood in the back of the group. “These little snuggles of joy were just brought up here a few hours ago. Already they’re sleeping like logs. Aren’t they adorable?”  
  
It was another dimly lit room, this time lit up by nightlights rather than a candle. Steve was starting to wonder if they just forgot to pay the light bill and decided to roll with it. He could make out various size baby cribs, rather than the bassentites he was used to seeing at the hospitals. Figures, rolled in baby pink and blue blankets could be made out. Another person stood inside, wearing scrubs, with a mask covering the lower half of their face. Steve stood on his toes to see over one of the other guests, his baby blue eyes falling onto one of the cribs that was shaking.  
  
A terribly done baby cry, that sounded more like shrieking came from the middle crib. It sounded more like an adult mimicking a baby cry than an actual child crying. It was enough to make Steve drop down to his feet and cover his ears. His hearing aids rung and Peggy assisted, covering his ears as well. While Steve curled into her chest to try to prevent a headache that was starting to develop, Peggy watched as the ‘worker’ went to comfort the child.  
  
“There, there.” The worker had a gruff voice, not even bothering to soften it for the child. Peggy rolled her eyes when the man picked the child up and started to scream, seconds before it even was placed at his neck. An over dramatic amount of blood squirted from his neck, spraying the walls and window, even as he turned to face them as he ‘died’, the blood squirted and sprayed the three people crowded around the entrance. As the man fell and the child with him, Peggy was able to make out that the ‘child’ was no more than one of those fake werewolf toddler dolls.  
  
The nurse quickly reached past them to slam the door shut, a look of mock terror on her face.  
  
As Steve started to recover, he started to laugh into Peggy’s chest. He managed to hide it, like he was coughing, Peggy’s hand combing through his hair while she tried not to give the same reaction.  
  
“I know,” the nurse sighed to Steve, patting his backside. “I know, it’s terrible. Best to keep them both contained in there. Once a werewolf had bitten someone, they’ll turn. Toddler or not.” She made a tsking sound before walking away, referencing for them to follow.  
  
After the use of his inhaler, Steve flashed Peggy a shit-eating grin. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “The loud noises and…”  
  
Peggy let others pass them, the three sprayed in fake blood looking disgusted that their costumes were now ruined. “Don’t, Steven, you’re alright. I know, the pitch was too loud for even me. I even saw the nurse wince. And those cribs, did they pick them up on the side of the road? One even just had three legs! They had placed a few textbooks underneath it, to keep it stable.”  
  
Steve couldn’t help, but to laugh after putting the inhaler away and taking her hand. “So far, is it worth your twenty bucks?”  
  
“In cheap entertainment, yes.” Peggy grinned.

Their second room showcased a study turned impromptu mental health ward. Least that’s what Steve would’ve guessed. It was, well very crappy done and very much rather done from stereotypical mental health, padded room. White sheets had been pinned to the wall, to even cover the window, but a gap was exposing the street lamp outside. It was made to look padded, but with shitty, stained mattresses on three of the said walls, it wasn’t very well done. Someone sat in the corner, in a cheap Hot-Topic looking straight jacket. Their head was shaved and head down, gripping at their head and rocking. Just sitting there rocking and muttering.  
  
This time, Steve didn’t bother to disguise his noise of disgust and laughter. He felt Peggy’s hand tighten in his. “Its...that’s... _no.”_ It was all he could say, taking a few steps back. He was disgusted, down to his core. This was the media interpretation of someone mentally ill, suffering from schizophrenia. The padded room, the straight jacket. Not the actual care that went into helping someone. Steve would’ve walked out, if it wasn’t for Peggy and her investigation. She had turned his eyes to him and he saw how soft they were, apologetic for bringing him here.  
  
Unfortunately, the goddamn bimbo of a nurse took it as Steve being, well frightened. She patted his shoulder and moved her hand to rub at his back. He could feel her nails snagging in the sweater. “I’m afraid, yes,” she gave an over dramatic sigh. “This is one of our newest patience. He just came in this morning. He’s a bit ill in the head. Hears and sees all this-”  
  
“No,” Steve’s voice was hard, shaking his head. She opened her mouth again and he let out a noise in the back of his throat. “No. Its _wrong_ to impersonate someone’s fucking mental illnesses to cheat people outta money. _This_ is what’s wrong with people, why mental illnesses ain’t taken as serious. Its cheap shit like this to get a few bucks and laughed at. It makes me fucking sick. You make me goddamn sick.”  
  
Peggy’s nose flared and it wasn’t at Steve or his little speech. Her eyes fell to the nurse and she gripped Steve’s hand again. “I suggest _next_ time, you take out the _mental health_ assessment here. Why don’t we move on and get this show over with?”  
  
The nurse opened and closed her mouth before nodding, face flushed. She looked almost angry, but said nothing. She marched ahead and Steve let everyone pass before following.  
  
“Steve,” Peggy whispered. The blonde just shook his head. “Thank you for...putting up with this cheap show for me. I’ll make it up to you. We’ll go on a more proper date than this. With luck...we can find something to arrest them on beyond being bored to death.”  
  
The cheap shot at a joke made Steve smile slightly. “That’ll be better entertainment than this.”  
  
It seemed like they were at the last room, given they were at the end of the hall. The last room was very off putting to him. Inside, there was a green light, that gave the room a haunted chill to it. Least, it would if it was clear the room hadn’t been painted a soft, baby pink with unicorn wallpaper plastered to it. A single bed sat in the middle of it, a single white, child’s bed. Steve rolled his eyes at it and crossed his arms. This would be good.  
  
“This is the one room no patient can stay in, for more than 24 hours. They claim to hear child’s laughter-” On cue, there was a child’s laughter that made Steve cringe-”feeling tiny hands on them and seeing ghostly aspirations of children.”  
  
Peggy wasn’t the only one rolling her eyes when the lights in the room started to flicker in rapid session. She had Steve look away, not needing the man to have a seizure on the floor. Her arms crossed over her chest to mirror Steve’s as a figure appeared in the room. Appeared, meaning she had seen the black-clad figure stumble from the closet. Every part of them was clad in black, except for their shittily done white facepaint and the large, uneven black circles over their eyes. A cheap, black wig was thrown on, already half crooked from them stumbling about. Really, the only thing scary about this was their shittily done costume.  
  
_“Play with me. I need a partner for my dolly.”_  
  
Steve snorted when he heard the mock child’s voice. “Yeah, sure, kid,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes again.  
  
The actor stumbled and fell at their feet, wig flying off, tripping over the too large body suit. The nurse had simply shut the door, giving a nervous laugh. “Kids these days. Always-” She frowned as she looked back, down the hall.  
  
Steve followed her gaze, because nothing prompted her to look back. It was just silent, down the red-lit hall. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the sounds of the fake wind creaking noise outside.  
  
_BANG!_  
  
It sounded like a door had flown open and smacked a wall. Followed by another and another and another bang. The doors in the hall had all opened, from the werewolf child, to the schizophrenic person, down to the ghost room they stood inches from.  
  
Figures stood at the end of the hallway and if Steve adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses, he could make out the zombie makeup. Rows and rows of people, nearly twenty stood there. He wasn’t even sure where this many people came from, because there wasn’t any actors outside, just that shitty doctor. Now said doctor stood at the front.  
  
“Run!” The nurse had gasped and grabbed at one of their groupie’s hands before taking off down the rest of the hall. Zombies had shuffled down the hall and if this had been in an anymore better haunted home, Steve might’ve been terrified given their fast shuffle.  
  
The nurse had pulled on one of them and the next person grabbed the next, until a line was forming and Steve was being pulled by Peggy’s hand. He grumbled and stumbled, trying to catch his footing as they ran towards the end of the hall. The nurse had kicked open a hidden basement door and threw them all inside before slamming it shut. Her shrieks could be heard above, heavy thumping above them as they fell down the stairs.  
  
_“Stop touching me.”_  
  
_“That tickles.”_  
  
_“Get your foot out of my face.”_  
  
_“Why are you digging around in my pocket?”_  
  
_“Man did you put deodorant on?”_  
  
“Why are you breathing so loud?”  
  
Inside and down the stairs, where they all fell on top of one another, it was pitch black. Steve was aching from having fallen and smacked his head on the hard floor. He had landed on someone and could hear their groans. _Peggy_. He’d landed on Peggy. He’d know the rose water scent anywhere.  
  
“Pegs-” Steve spoke in a soft whisper, nose wrinkling. It smelled like stale water and dust down here.  
  
_“Shh.”_ Peggy hissed in his ear, tensing up. It was now quiet above, so why was no one opening the cellar door? As far as she could try to see, there was no other way out. The others grunts and groans were making it difficult to try to hear, whispered talk about when they were going to be let out and if there was a back exit in this small home.  
  
Grabbing at her phone, Peggy used it as a flash light and looked around, a frown on her face. The entire cellar was full of nothing, but water-stained boxes that were overly stacked and difficult to maneuver around. The stairs looked like a safety hazard in their own. Not to mention, there was no fucking back exit, not that she could see.  
  
Steve blinked against the new harsh light in the room, raising an eyebrow when Peggy shushed him. He could see the other people still getting their bearings and patting their pockets. He reached for his phone and found it gone. A quick search of the floor told him it wasn’t there. Wallet too.  
  
“My phones gone,” he told Peggy. “Wallet too. So is my inhaler and bottle of seizure meds.”  
  
“Hey,” one of the guys dressed as Freddy Kruiger spoke up. He had a busted nose from that fall. “My phones gone too. Wallet too.”  
  
“Mine too.” A girl dressed as Alice spoke up, looking around on the floor. “My purse is too.”  
  
“Alright,” Peggy breathed, shaking her head. “Raise of hand. Whose stuff is gone?” Everyone raised their hands, including Steve who shrugged sheepishly. Peggy’s purse was still on her, but that was just because it was lying across her chest the entire time. A quick search told her, everything of hers was in here. “Strange. I think I know how they’re doing it.”  
  
“Doing what?” The guy sitting in a puddle of what Peggy hoped was water had spoken. His hair was done in vibrant pink and yellow, making him look like a parrot more than a pirate. “Who's doing what?”  
  
Peggy ignored him and looked to Steve. “Only reason I have _my_ stuff is because I keep it on my person, not in my pockets. Every other one of you had your stuff either dangling off of you or shoved in your pocket. We all had our things with us when we were going through that shit show, correct?” There were a few nods and murmurs of agreement. “Thought so. They shoved us down here without warning, nearly breaking out necks to get us down the stairs. There were people waiting for us. I saw them earlier, dressed in better fitting black bodysuits than that shitty ghost upstairs. It was all a distraction, so Bimbo upstairs could shove us down here and cause enough noise and ruckus, so we didn’t hear any of their little thieves while they pick pocketed us. Only reason we didn’t suspect a thing was because we landed on top of one another, so we thought the random tickling and touching each other. Not human raccoons.”  
  
“Hey,” Rainbow Pirate, grumbled. “Raccoons are cute. Don’t slew them in with these slums. So that’s it? We’re stuck down here until they let us out and our shits gone for good?”  
  
A smile curled on Peggy’s red lips, pulling her hair out of her face. It was starting to get humid down here. “Not quite. I’m an officer. I’ll handle this.” She pulled her badge out of her purse to showcase to them before turning back to Steve. The blonde wore a dopey smile on his face, despite the fact his favorite sweater bore a rip on his collar. “What? What’s that look for?”  
  
“Nothing,” Steve mused, shrugging his shoulders. “I just like watching you work.”  
  
All it took was one phone call and ten minutes before they were finally let back outside. This time, being led away by Captain Phillips, whose facial expression was between a scowl and a smile. Seven police cars had piled outside and over twenty college-aged actors had been arrested, stuffed in the cars, still in their shitty costumes. Peggy wore a proud smile on her face as she watched a few officers separate the group to take statements and hand back their stolen items.  
  
“Carter, a word.” Phillips had gestured to her, eyeing Steve. “Now.”  
  
Peggy turned to Steve, pressing a kiss to the knot forming on his temple. “Why don’t you go see Dugan about that knot and I talk to Phillips, hm?”  
  
Steve watched as Peggy walked away, stuffing his cold hands into his pocket. Phillips didn’t look too happy, he had a scowl on his face, but he always had that look. Really, that man was impossible to read.  
  
“Is she going to get in trouble?” Steve half whispered to Dugan. Dugan was a round man, with a round belly, thick mustache, and always a happy look on his face. He pushed his round, thin glasses up his nose and looked over to where Phillips was talking to Peggy. It was hard to tell, given both their hand movements.  
  
“Who? Carter? Nah, Phillips _loves_ her. She could do no wrong in his eyes. Besides, she saved us a lot of work this Halloween. Hold still, you got a small cut.” Dugan had placed a plaster over the cut above Steve’s brow. “Trust me. Peggy isn’t in any trouble. She’s one of our best officers. We’d be lost without her.”  
  
“Yeah,” Steve sighed, watching Peggy march back to them, her face stoic. “Yeah, I would be too.”  
  
“All ready?” Peggy mused, a small smile curling onto her lips. “I have your things here, Steven. Phillips returned them personally to me. Those idiots stole them because they thought they were pain pills and could scam some freshmen with them.” She rolled her eyes slightly. “Thank you for taking care of him Dugan. You know my Steven, he’s accident prone.”  
  
“Of course,” Dugan chuckled, a big belly laugh, holding onto his stomach. “Always happy to help, Pegs. I’ll see you Monday eight am sharp. You owe me a bagel for this one.”  
  
“Of course, Mr. Dugan. Proper onion and chives, with salmon slapped on.” Peggy laughed.  
  
“Hang on-” Steve stopped them as they walked down the street, the red, white, and blue lights flashing behind him. “You weren’t fired? It looked like Phillips was wringing into you good there.”  
  
Peggy laughed, unable to help herself. She stood in front of Steve, where he was cascaded in the bright lights. Both his slender, colds hands were in her own, their fingers weaved together. “The opposite, really. He was thanking me for saving us a lot of work on Halloween night. But I’d let him know that he put up a good show about it. Now, how about that proper date I promised you? I think there’s a late-night theater playing Halloweentown.”


End file.
